Stephen v



UNITED STATES PATENT Tron.

STEPHEN V. API LEBY, OF SPOTSWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREATING CHEWING-TOBACCO.

Specification forming pai t of Letters Patent No. 160,138, dated February 23, 1875; application filed October 5, 1874. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN V. APPLEBY, of Spotswood, in the county of Middlesex, State of New Jersey, have invented a certain Improved Compound to be Used for Sweetening and Flavoring Tobacco, of which the following is a specification:

This invention has for its object to produce a new and improved compound for treating tobacco, so as to sweeten and flavor the same, and at the same time render chewing-tobacco materially milder and more mucilaginous than heretofore, whereby the tobacco is rendered more saleable, while its cost is not increased.

My invention or discovery, to secure such beneficial results, consists of certain ingredients perfectly harmless in their nature, said ingredients being such as are hereinafter mentioned, which are treated, compounded, and applied to the tobacco after the same is cut up, substantially in the manner and about in the proportions specified.

The compound which I employ consists of the following materials and in the proportions stated below: Powdered radix glycyrrhizze, four-sevenths, or one hundred pounds; saccharum purificatum, two sevenths, or fifty pounds; extractum glycyrrhizze, two thirty-fifths, or ten pounds; ulmas fulva, two thirty-fifths, or ten pounds; acacia, one thirty-fifth, or five pounds.

Such formula is for producing a compound of one hundred and seventy-five pounds, which 1s employed in treating from about five hundred to seven hundred pounds of chewingtobacco when the same is out up. These ingredients aremixed together about in the proportions named, and are then reduced to an impalpable fine powder by grinding or otherwise, and is then ready to be applied to the tobacco for the purpose of sweetening or flavoring the same, and when properly applied it will render chewing-tobacco mild and mucilagmous, and by imparting to the same such qualities will render the use of the same less injurious to the consumer than heretofore, and at the same time enable it to be distinguished in the market from the tobacco not thus treated.

In carrying out my invention, I first moisten or dampen the leaves of the tobacco-water,

as is usual, or just sufficient to enable the same to be freed of its stems with ease and facility. When such has been accomplished the leaves are placed in the usual box or receptacle and there cut in as dry a condition as possible, as in the usual manner. After such manipulation, the sweetening or flavoring compound which, as heretofore stated, consists of powdered radix glycyrrhizae, (powdered licorice-root,) four-sevenths, or one hundred pounds; saccharum purificatum, (refined pulverizedsugar,)two-sevenths,orfiftypounds; extractum glycyrrhizze, (extract of licorice,) two thirty-fifths, or ten pounds; u mas fulva, (slippery-elm bark,) two thirty-fifths, or ten pounds; and acacia, (gum-arabic,) one thirtyfifth, or five pounds, are all incorporated and reduced to an impalpable powder, and then dusted or sprinkled over the cut tobacco-say, five hundred to seven hundred pounds-which permeates or mixes itself with such tobacco in such a manner as to be intimately and uniformly mixed with the same, the result being that the compound composed by the union of the several ingredients not only sweetens and flavors the tobacco when manufactured into chewing-tobacco, but strengthens and gives elasticity to the same, and does not make as many shorts in dressing, and the tobacco is rendered milder in its nature and attains a highly mucilaginous character, whereby it can easily be known and designated in the market over the chewing-tobacco now in use.

Another important feature by treating tobacco when out up with a compound reduced to an impalpable powder, as above described, is that it has the tendency of imparting to the same a power of resisting moisture; as it is well known that tobacco, whether in rainy or cloudy weather, has a tendency to attract moisture. The presence of the powdered compound materially assists and facilitates the drying of the tobacco, securing such result much sooner than otherwise, and by such conversion of it ameliorates the natural bitterness of the tobacco, rendering it demulcent and mucilaginous to the taste of the consumer.

The presence of the powdered radix glycyrrhizze, saccharum purificatum, and extracttum glycyrrhizae in my compound are for the purpose of flavoriu g or sweetening the cut tobacco. The ulmas fulva, or slippery-elm bark, is principally used for its inucilaginous and oth er well-kn own establish ed medical qualities. The employment of the acacia or gum-arabic serves as a binder for all of the ingredients, and is present in my compound on account of its eminent mucilaginous qualities.

Thus it will be seen that I form an improved compound used in treating and flavoring tobacco after it is cut up for chewing-tobacco the powdered licorice, the pulverized sugar, and extract of licorice being present for the purpose of flavoring and sweetening, while the slippery-elm and the gum-arabic are present for imparting elasticity to the cut particles, enabling such to retain its moisture, and pre venting minute particles from becomingbroken up or crumblin It has been usual to coat small bits of tobacco, the size of a single chew, with gumarabic, so as to prevent said small bit or chew from being deprived of its moisture by exposure to the atmosphere. Such is always accomplished after the tobacco has been made into plugs. Such, it will be seen, is applied as a coating to each bit of tobacco the size of :5 single chew, which is foreign to my invenion.

Further, leaf-tobacco has been treated with gum-arabic, when in solution, for the purpose of causing the leaves to adhere to each other for the purpose of enabling the same to be cut up into small particles; but such is not my invention and is not claimed by me.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of preparing chewing-tobacco by dampening, boxing, and treating the same with a compound consisting of gum-arabic, slipper -eln1, and flavoring and sweetening ingredients, and afterward drying and cutting, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, chewingtobacco prepared by-dampening, boxing, and treated with a compound consisting of gumarabic, slippery-elm, and flavoring and sweetening ingredients, and afterward drying and cutting, substantially as described.

STEPHEN V. APPLEBY.

Witnesses:

LEONARD L. I. APPLEBY, WM. FRISIIMUTI-I. 

